Modulation effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on phase synchronization in motor imagery brain-computer...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Brain-Computer Interface (BCI)
• Motor Control

Background:

• Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is known to enhance cortical excitability and modulate event-related desynchronization (ERD) in motor imagery (MI).
• Phase synchronization, a measure of neural interaction, is a key EEG pattern for BCI control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if tDCS can modulate phase synchronization between the primary motor cortex (M1) and supplementary motor area (SMA) during MI.
• To assess the impact of tDCS on neural coupling and its potential for rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• Ten healthy subjects were randomly assigned to anodal or sham tDCS groups.
• Subjects performed left and right hand motor imagery tasks.
• Phase locking value (PLV) was calculated to measure phase synchronization before and after stimulation.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increase in normalized PLV was observed in the anodal stimulation group after tDCS (paired t-test, p = 0.0371).
• tDCS demonstrated an impact on neural coupling between M1 and SMA during MI.

Conclusions:

• tDCS can modulate phase synchronization in motor imagery, indicating an effect on neural coupling.
• Intervention via tDCS on phase synchronization may offer therapeutic benefits for motor and neurological disorders.